diff --git a/builtin/mainmenu/modmgr.lua b/builtin/mainmenu/modmgr.lua
index f6b9b4814..89292ed52 100644
--- a/builtin/mainmenu/modmgr.lua
+++ b/builtin/mainmenu/modmgr.lua
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 function get_mods(path,retval,modpack)
-	local mods = core.get_dirlist(path, true)
+	local mods = core.get_dir_list(path, true)
 	
 	for i=1, #mods, 1 do
 		if mods[i]:sub(1,1) ~= "." then
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ function modmgr.getbasefolder(temppath)
 				}
 	end
 
-	local subdirs = core.get_dirlist(temppath,true)
+	local subdirs = core.get_dir_list(temppath, true)
 
 	--only single mod or modpack allowed
 	if #subdirs ~= 1 then
diff --git a/builtin/mainmenu/tab_texturepacks.lua b/builtin/mainmenu/tab_texturepacks.lua
index d32c073ab..9417b94e0 100644
--- a/builtin/mainmenu/tab_texturepacks.lua
+++ b/builtin/mainmenu/tab_texturepacks.lua
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ local function get_formspec(tabview, name, tabdata)
 			"textlist[4,0.25;7.5,5.0;TPs;"
 
 	local current_texture_path = core.setting_get("texture_path")
-	local list = filter_texture_pack_list(core.get_dirlist(core.get_texturepath(), true))
+	local list = filter_texture_pack_list(core.get_dir_list(core.get_texturepath(), true))
 	local index = tonumber(core.setting_get("mainmenu_last_selected_TP"))
 
 	if index == nil then index = 1 end
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ local function main_button_handler(tabview, fields, name, tabdata)
 			local index = core.get_textlist_index("TPs")
 			core.setting_set("mainmenu_last_selected_TP",
 				index)
-			local list = filter_texture_pack_list(core.get_dirlist(core.get_texturepath(), true))
+			local list = filter_texture_pack_list(core.get_dir_list(core.get_texturepath(), true))
 			local current_index = core.get_textlist_index("TPs")
 			if current_index ~= nil and #list >= current_index then
 				local new_path = core.get_texturepath()..DIR_DELIM..list[current_index]
diff --git a/doc/lua_api.txt b/doc/lua_api.txt
index 0e1dc487f..e1ee42b94 100644
--- a/doc/lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/lua_api.txt
@@ -1704,6 +1704,11 @@ Helper functions
 * `minetest.mkdir(path)`: returns success.
     * Creates a directory specified by `path`, creating parent directories
       if they don't exist.
+* `minetest.get_dir_list(path, [is_dir])`: returns list of entry names
+    * is_dir is one of:
+      * nil: return all entries,
+      * true: return only subdirectory names, or
+      * false: return only file names.
 
 ### Logging
 * `minetest.debug(line)`
diff --git a/doc/menu_lua_api.txt b/doc/menu_lua_api.txt
index e5ba46d4c..76c329de6 100644
--- a/doc/menu_lua_api.txt
+++ b/doc/menu_lua_api.txt
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ core.start()
 core.close()
 
 Filesystem:
-core.get_scriptdir()
-^ returns directory of script
+core.get_builtin_path()
+^ returns path to builtin root
 core.get_modpath() (possible in async calls)
 ^ returns path to global modpath
 core.get_modstore_details(modid) (possible in async calls)
@@ -59,10 +59,6 @@ core.get_gamepath() (possible in async calls)
 ^ returns path to global gamepath
 core.get_texturepath() (possible in async calls)
 ^ returns path to default textures
-core.get_dirlist(path,onlydirs) (possible in async calls)
-^ path to get subdirs from
-^ onlydirs should result contain only dirs?
-^ returns list of folders within path
 core.create_dir(absolute_path) (possible in async calls)
 ^ absolute_path to directory to create (needs to be absolute)
 ^ returns true/false
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_mainmenu.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_mainmenu.cpp
index b068040db..52410f74f 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_mainmenu.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_mainmenu.cpp
@@ -753,30 +753,6 @@ int ModApiMainMenu::l_get_texturepath_share(lua_State *L)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-/******************************************************************************/
-int ModApiMainMenu::l_get_dirlist(lua_State *L)
-{
-	const char *path	= luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
-	bool dironly		= lua_toboolean(L, 2);
-
-	std::vector<fs::DirListNode> dirlist = fs::GetDirListing(path);
-
-	unsigned int index = 1;
-	lua_newtable(L);
-	int table = lua_gettop(L);
-
-	for (unsigned int i=0;i< dirlist.size(); i++) {
-		if ((dirlist[i].dir) || (dironly == false)) {
-			lua_pushnumber(L,index);
-			lua_pushstring(L,dirlist[i].name.c_str());
-			lua_settable(L, table);
-			index++;
-		}
-	}
-
-	return 1;
-}
-
 /******************************************************************************/
 int ModApiMainMenu::l_create_dir(lua_State *L) {
 	const char *path	= luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
@@ -1170,7 +1146,6 @@ void ModApiMainMenu::Initialize(lua_State *L, int top)
 	API_FCT(get_gamepath);
 	API_FCT(get_texturepath);
 	API_FCT(get_texturepath_share);
-	API_FCT(get_dirlist);
 	API_FCT(create_dir);
 	API_FCT(delete_dir);
 	API_FCT(copy_dir);
@@ -1204,7 +1179,6 @@ void ModApiMainMenu::InitializeAsync(AsyncEngine& engine)
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(get_gamepath);
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(get_texturepath);
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(get_texturepath_share);
-	ASYNC_API_FCT(get_dirlist);
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(create_dir);
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(delete_dir);
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(copy_dir);
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_util.cpp b/src/script/lua_api/l_util.cpp
index 2bcc114e2..d97db2367 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_util.cpp
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_util.cpp
@@ -339,6 +339,29 @@ int ModApiUtil::l_mkdir(lua_State *L)
 	return 1;
 }
 
+// get_dir_list(path, is_dir)
+int ModApiUtil::l_get_dir_list(lua_State *L)
+{
+	NO_MAP_LOCK_REQUIRED;
+	const char *path = luaL_checkstring(L, 1);
+	short is_dir = lua_isboolean(L, 2) ? lua_toboolean(L, 2) : -1;
+
+	CHECK_SECURE_PATH_OPTIONAL(L, path);
+
+	std::vector<fs::DirListNode> list = fs::GetDirListing(path);
+
+	int index = 0;
+	lua_newtable(L);
+
+	for (size_t i = 0; i < list.size(); i++) {
+		if (is_dir == -1 || is_dir == list[i].dir) {
+			lua_pushstring(L, list[i].name.c_str());
+			lua_rawseti(L, -2, ++index);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
 
 int ModApiUtil::l_request_insecure_environment(lua_State *L)
 {
@@ -391,6 +414,7 @@ void ModApiUtil::Initialize(lua_State *L, int top)
 	API_FCT(decompress);
 
 	API_FCT(mkdir);
+	API_FCT(get_dir_list);
 
 	API_FCT(request_insecure_environment);
 }
@@ -417,5 +441,6 @@ void ModApiUtil::InitializeAsync(AsyncEngine& engine)
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(decompress);
 
 	ASYNC_API_FCT(mkdir);
+	ASYNC_API_FCT(get_dir_list);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/script/lua_api/l_util.h b/src/script/lua_api/l_util.h
index 336173664..e75aa28cb 100644
--- a/src/script/lua_api/l_util.h
+++ b/src/script/lua_api/l_util.h
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ private:
 	// mkdir(path)
 	static int l_mkdir(lua_State *L);
 
+	// get_dir_list(path, is_dir)
+	static int l_get_dir_list(lua_State *L);
+
 	// request_insecure_environment()
 	static int l_request_insecure_environment(lua_State *L);